President Barack Obama thanked the Dalai Lama on Wednesday for offering condolences after 49 people were killed in the worst mass shooting in modern US history, as the pair once again angered China by meeting at the White House.

It was Obama’s fourth White House meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader, whom Beijing accuses of leading a campaign to split the region off from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama says he simply wants a higher degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.

China condemned the meeting after the White House listed it on Obama’s public schedule. The meeting was closed to news media coverage, but the White House released on its Flickr account a photo by the president’s official photographer of the two men greeting each other.

The Dalai Lama led a minute of silent prayer for the shooting victims during a visit at the US Institute of Peace in Washington on Monday, the day after a gunman opened fire at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, killing 49 people and wounding dozens more.

“The president thanked the Dalai Lama for his expression of condolences about the terrorist attack in Orlando over the weekend,” Earnest said.

China strongly disapproved of the meeting. Its Foreign Ministry said it had made “solemn representations” to the US Embassy in Beijing and expressed its “firm opposition.”

“We need to emphasize that the Tibetan issue is China’s internal affairs and other countries do not have any right to interfere with this,” spokesman Lu Kang told a daily media briefing.

“The 14th Dalai Lama is not simply a religious figure but a political figure in exile who has been conducting secessionist activities internationally under the pretext of religion,” the statement said. “If President Obama meets with Dalai Lama, it will send the wrong signal to Tibetan separatist forces, and it will undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the US.”

Lu urged Washington to “stick by its promise of recognizing Tibet as part of China, and not support Tibetan independence or any separatist activities.”

Earnest reiterated Wednesday that US policy toward Tibet remained unchanged.

“Tibet, per US policy, is considered part of the People’s Republic of China, and the United States has not articulated our support for Tibetan independence,” he said. “Both the Dalai Lama and President Obama value the importance of a constructive and productive relationship between the United States and China. All of those were policy positions of the United States before the meeting occurred. Our policy hasn’t changed after the meeting.”

China also blames the Dalai Lama and others for inciting a wave of self-immolations among Tibetans in recent years. Dozens have set themselves on fire while calling for the return of the Dalai Lama or for Tibetan independence.

The Dalai Lama also noted in the interview that Chinese President Xi Jinping had said Buddhism was an important part of Chinese culture.

“So this is something new, for a leader of a Communist party, you see, mentioning some positive things about leader of Buddhism, wonderful.”

When Obama last met the Dalai Lama at the White House in 2014, he angered China by vowing “strong support” for Tibetans’ human rights.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said in the Fox News interview that China would eventually have to become more open.

“So … Chinese people, including leaders, I think are getting some new experiences, so things will change,” he said, adding there was no future in maintaining such tight social control.

Obama held the meeting in the Map Room, instead of the Oval Office, because the Dalai Lama is not a head of state.

The president had been scheduled to travel to Wisconsin on Wednesday for his first campaign appearance with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton following his formal endorsement of her last week. But the event was postponed after the Orlando shooting, creating room on Obama’s schedule to meet with the Dalai Lama, who was already visiting Washington.

Obama planned to visit Orlando on Thursday to pay tribute to the victims and meet with their loved ones.

China must know it can dictate stan and not USA. It was mistake on USA part to recognise Tibet is part of China.However if USA feels then it can help Tibet to get freedom fro China.It understand only language of for Tat nothing more.Only USA in world can challenge China and no one else.

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Rajesh

Jun 16, 2016 at 4:55 am

China thinks anyone cares what their opinion is. lol.

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Leo Lopez

Jun 16, 2016 at 2:37 am

Endorsing "autonomy" is nothing but empty gesture. Endorsing and supporting independence of the TAIWAN, literally, should send credible message to CHINA of the US's geo-political agenda.

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mohan

Jun 16, 2016 at 3:22 am

Why Dalai Lama does not go to Tibetand fight for its liberation.He has got enough moral strengthand following in Tibet.What help Obama can give to get Tibet liberated.I think no help but only soothing words .Dalai Lama is unneccessarily proving a road block in our already bitter relations with China.It is better if he goes to Tibet himself or the GOI sends him .Can anyone inform of what use he is to India ?In the past we gave asylum to muslims ,christians,parsis ,jews,what we got for our hospitality .We were abused by these persons when they got settledandlooted our wealth and displ aced us from our hearths and homes .Let him go .China will have one less excuse to blame us .

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Sonam

Sep 19, 2016 at 4:43 am

China must know Dalai Lama is a reputed Buddhist leader worldwide and demanding only a genuine autonomy for Tibet, not seeking a complete independence. The fact is His Holiness supports that Tibet should be better remaining under Chinese rule.Hence, there is no question of being called his holiness as a splittist. It is strange that China is always afraid of Dalai Lama.